Truth-In-Data Monitoring

Traffic monitoring is a means of counting and classifying vehicles, and measuring vehicle flow characteristics such as vehicle speed, lane occupancy turning movements and other items typically used to portray traffic movement.

In order for traffic monitoring data to be assessed properly, information on how the data was collected, edited, summarized and reported must be provided. This obligation for documenting data is known as the truth-in-data principle, which is covered by a new ASTM International standard approved by Committee E17 on Vehicle-Pavement Systems.

The new standard, E2759, Practice for Highway Traffic Monitoring Truth-in-Data, was developed by Subcommittee E17.52 on Traffic Monitoring.

Traffic monitoring system developers, data collectors and users will be able to use E2759 to integrate their separate but related activities. Use of the standard will be helpful in making decisions about highway maintenance investments, and ongoing operational and safety issues.